


Staying Between the Lines

by demishock



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, IgNoct, Ignoct Week, because it's for ignoct week, but they're just kids in this one, ignoctweek, tagged with the pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 05:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11730366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demishock/pseuds/demishock
Summary: Noctis's 6th birthday came with all the pomp and circumstance he hated about his station.It also came with a crayon.





	Staying Between the Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ignoctweek on tumblr. Day 8: free prompt. I had a little snapshot of an idea for the Day 4 timed quest, "A throne fit for two," but I didn't have the time or energy to flesh it out at the time. eveshka gave me a push to use it as the basis for Day 8 instead, and so here we are.
> 
> I realized as I was getting ready to post this that I kind of came around full circle, starting the week with a fic about Noct's 16th birthday, and ending it with this fic about his 6th.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's been following along this week, and to everyone who stops by after. I've had an absolute blast!
> 
> And thanks to the group of people who've been cheering me on this whole time - you guys... are the best! ♥

Noctis had a penchant for art when he was a child. It mattered little what media - if it could be smeared on a surface, Noctis would try to draw with it. He left his mark throughout the citadel, on its walls and baseboards, in its library's books, even on the other artwork framed on its walls. His latest masterpiece had been a giant rendering of a shooting star, painted on the foyer floor in a brilliant shade of mud.

It was for this reason that Ignis had endeavored, for Noctis's 6th birthday, to get him a coloring book and crayons. It had taken some doing, being only 8 years old himself. He'd had to enlist his uncle's help, and had sworn him to secrecy many times over, but he'd finally managed to acquire what he sought, just in time for the big day.

Then it was just a matter of waiting for an opportunity to present his present. Noctis always spent his birthdays surrounded by all manner of noble guests, come to lavish the prince with gifts and attention. Ignis knew that Noctis hated it. He had to wear formal clothes and sit up straight and smile - he'd confided in Ignis that it made him feel like a doll. Despite his young age, he understood that all those people were here more for his father than for him.

Ignis stood against the wall of the great ballroom with the other servants, only speaking when spoken to. Every once in a while, he'd get a glimpse of Noctis amidst the throng of well-wishers, and he could tell his friend was growing tired. Once, Noctis managed to catch his eye, and the pleading look he received made him want to rush to Noctis's side and whisk him away.

But Ignis knew better than to overstep his boundaries, and so he waited, silently apologizing to Noctis for his inaction.

It was getting on into the evening when the inevitable happened.

It began with the usual whispers. One of the servants had noticed the prince was no longer where he'd been a moment ago, and had pointed it out to another. Then another had noticed as well. Soon, every member of the staff was looking for their errant prince, and it was then that Ignis, too, made his escape.

He hurried to his chambers and retrieved the carefully wrapped present he'd prepared, then moved back into the hall.

Something else that Noctis had a penchant for was hiding. Or at least, that's what the servants had to say about him. It was more a penchant for being in places he wasn't supposed to be, if you asked Ignis, but nobody ever did. When Noctis performed these little disappearing acts, Ignis never found him in closets or behind vases or under furniture. He always found him in plain sight somewhere - and he was usually asleep.

So it was today. Ignis wasn't sure what compelled him to check the throne room. He wasn't sure what compelled him to look in any of the places he'd found Noctis in the past. They rarely planned these little excursions ahead of time; Ignis just had a knack for finding him. It was a phenomenon he couldn't explain, and so he didn't try. He simply followed wherever his prince went, and that was that.

Even if it meant breaking the rules he tried so painstakingly to follow.

The door was ajar when he arrived, and he closed it carefully behind him as he entered, knowing that it would buy them that much more time before the others caught them. The room was vast even by adult standards, and it seemed to take Ignis forever to cross it. It took a second eternity to climb all the stairs. It was really no wonder Noctis had fallen asleep up here, curled up on the king's throne.

Ignis smiled, but only for a moment. Noctis being asleep presented its own dilemma. Ignis wanted to give him his birthday gift, but he didn't want to wake him. He shifted from foot to foot, holding the box behind his back as he tried to decide which course of action would be best.

He was saved as Noctis woke with a great yawn. He sat up, rubbing both eyes with his fists, then blinked blearily at Ignis.

"Hi," he said, almost shyly.

Ignis smiled again.

"Hello, Noct. Happy birthday."

Noctis scrunched his nose.

"Too many people."

"I know," Ignis said. "I'm sorry."

Noctis shuffled away from Ignis to the far side of the throne, and Ignis was hurt for a moment until Noctis patted the now-empty space beside him, inviting Ignis to join him.

Ignis was torn.

"I shouldn't, Noct. That…" He swallowed. Pushed his glasses up on his nose with the hand not still hiding Noctis's present. "That seat isn't for me."

Noctis pouted.

"It's my birthday," he said, as if that made it okay.

"It is," Ignis agreed. Seizing his opportunity, he withdrew the box from behind his back and handed it to Noctis. "This is for you."

The prince's demeanor changed in an instant, his eyes going big and round at the sight of the gift. He took it from Ignis's hands with a gentleness he usually reserved for kittens and frogs, cradling it reverently in his lap.

"It's the best present _ever_!" he said with conviction.

Ignis frowned, even as his heart leapt in his chest.

"You haven't opened it yet."

Noctis shook his head vigorously.

"Don't hafta. It's from Ignis, so it's the best."

Ignis found himself unable to respond. Noctis set about relieving the box of its wrapping, allowing Ignis a few moments to recover. Noctis dropped the discarded paper to one side and fumbled with the box for a moment before it finally popped open, revealing its contents at last.

Ignis hadn't thought it possible, but Noctis's eyes got even wider. He kicked his legs in excitement, then pushed the box off his lap onto the seat beside him, sliding to the floor and tackling Ignis in a hug that was so unexpected that he nearly toppled over. 

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Noctis said, all in a rush, squeezing him tightly around the middle.

Ignis let out a breathless little laugh, working an arm free to return the gesture as best he could.

"You're welcome."

Noctis held on for a few more seconds before letting go to clamber back onto the throne and start flipping through the coloring book's pages. Ignis reached up to adjust his glasses, knocked askew by Noctis's enthusiasm. When the world came back into focus, he saw Noctis holding out a hand to him.

He tilted his head in query.

"Sit with me," Noctis insisted again. At Ignis's continued hesitation, he added, "It's okay cuz I'm the prince and I said so."

"…Alright," Ignis relented. He hoisted himself up, carefully settling beside Noctis atop the plush red velvet. He was acutely aware of the fact that he Shouldn't Be Doing This, but when he turned to Noctis and saw his smile, he could almost believe that it _was_ okay.

Noctis opened the coloring book to a random page. It was a picture of chocobos on a racetrack. With a decisive nod, he picked out a crayon, blue as his eyes. He handed the box to Ignis and got to work, scribbling over the lead chocobo with fervor.

"Noct, chocobos are yellow," Ignis protested with dismay.

"Mine's blue," Noctis said with a shrug, continuing to color away.

Ignis sniffed, pulling the yellow crayon from the box. At least he could make sure _one_ of the chocobos would be the right color. He bent over the page, filling in the other chocobo meticulously between the lines.

\---

It was hours later when Regis finally located his son. The servants had torn the citadel apart looking for him, even as they apologized profusely for their royal charge's sudden disappearance. Regis knew he was equally to blame; he'd been distracted by their guests, and he knew his wayward son needed no time at all to slip away from his keepers.

As Regis approached the throne, it became clear that his son had at least not been alone this whole time. The Scientia boy was slumped against the arm of the throne, fast asleep, a crayon dangling precariously from his fingers. His other arm was draped around Noctis, who was curled up in his lap, his cheek to the boy's chest. Noctis's crayon-smudged fists clutched the other boy's shirt.

Both children looked the very picture of contentment.

The rest of the crayons were scattered around the base of the throne, along with a book. Regis stooped and picked the latter up, studying the art that his son and this boy had created together.

As his eyes drifted back to the pair asleep before him, he silently vowed to make sure they'd be together a lot more often.


End file.
